WILLEMSTAD – Employees of the Analytisch Diagnostisch Centrum (ADC) will remain without a collective labor agreement (CAO) for at least the next two years. Their salaries will not be indexed during this period, but staff will receive lump sum payments in 2025 and 2026 as compensation. 

The announcement was made on Monday by Minister of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN), Javier Silvania, during a follow-up meeting with ADC employees at the Marriott Hotel. Silvania confirmed an earlier statement he made in June, reiterating that indexation will not be applied due to ADC’s fragile financial position. 

Temporary compensation instead of indexation 

As a temporary measure, employees will receive a one-time lump sum this year equivalent to what they would have gained through indexation—set at 1.56 percent of their salary. The payment will be made on top of regular monthly wages. A similar compensation is planned for 2026, with the amount to be calculated at the beginning of the year using the same system normally applied for salary indexation. 

“This temporary solution ensures that employees are not left empty-handed while ADC works toward financial recovery,” Silvania told staff. “It will take time and effort to restore the financial health of the organization. In the meantime, I do not want employees to bear the burden alone.” 

Talks with union CBV 

Silvania explained that he has engaged in constructive discussions with the health sector union CBV. These talks covered both the financial difficulties facing ADC and possible measures to ease the impact on staff. 

The minister also emphasized that once ADC’s financial management is stabilized, negotiations between CBV and the ADC management can resume with the aim of reaching a new collective labor agreement. 

ADC, the island’s central medical laboratory, has faced mounting financial pressures in recent years. The ministry’s latest measures are intended to provide temporary relief to employees while buying time to restructure the institution’s finances.